It seemed that President H.W. Bush had taken a significant turn for the worse Thursday, since he had not been out of bed for several days and had not eaten anything except for a few spoonfuls of applesauce.However, on Friday morning, his lifelong friend and Secretary of State James Baker dropped by for a visit. Bush was alert, sitting up in bed and had a large breakfast — three five-minute soft-boiled eggs, a large cup of yogurt and two fruit drinks.“We all thought, ‘Well, wait a minute here,’” Baker said in an interview Saturday. “He’s confounding us again because this wouldn’t have been the first time he bounced back and fooled everybody when they thought he was checking out.” Baker was not just Bush’s secretary of state. He was his close friend, tennis partner and confidant. During the recent ups and downs, Baker visited often. On Friday evening, Baker and his wife, Susan, stopped by again at the Bush home, and the former president appeared to still be doing relatively well. He was alert, sitting up and responding to questions.The Irish tenor Ronan Tynan was at the house and sang “Silent Night” for him, with Bush mouthing the words to the song.“Everything about it was quite emotional,” Baker said, “but it was sweet.”However, things again took a turn for the worse Friday night.In his last hours, George H.W. Bush talked to his son, former President George W. Bush, on the phone.The son told Bush Sr. that he had been a "wonderful father."Bush Sr. replied, "I love you, too." “And those were the last words I heard him say," Baker said. "He was gone in about 40 minutes after that and it was a very gentle and peaceful passing."Bush Sr. was also asked yesterday whether he wanted to go to the hospital, a source said.He said no, the source said. He was ready to go and be with his wife Barbara and his daughter Robin, who died of leukemia as a child.CNN contributed to this report.

HOUSTON —

It seemed that President H.W. Bush had taken a significant turn for the worse Thursday, since he had not been out of bed for several days and had not eaten anything except for a few spoonfuls of applesauce.

However, on Friday morning, his lifelong friend and Secretary of State James Baker dropped by for a visit. Bush was alert, sitting up in bed and had a large breakfast — three five-minute soft-boiled eggs, a large cup of yogurt and two fruit drinks.

Advertisement

Related Content

“We all thought, ‘Well, wait a minute here,’” Baker said in an interview Saturday. “He’s confounding us again because this wouldn’t have been the first time he bounced back and fooled everybody when they thought he was checking out.”

Getty ImagesJim James/PA Images via Getty Images

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, U.S. Secretary of State James Baker and U.S. President George Bush at the NATO meeting in Lancaster House in 1990.

Baker was not just Bush’s secretary of state. He was his close friend, tennis partner and confidant. During the recent ups and downs, Baker visited often. On Friday evening, Baker and his wife, Susan, stopped by again at the Bush home, and the former president appeared to still be doing relatively well. He was alert, sitting up and responding to questions.

The Irish tenor Ronan Tynan was at the house and sang “Silent Night” for him, with Bush mouthing the words to the song.

“Everything about it was quite emotional,” Baker said, “but it was sweet.”

However, things again took a turn for the worse Friday night.

In his last hours, George H.W. Bush talked to his son, former President George W. Bush, on the phone.

The son told Bush Sr. that he had been a "wonderful father."

Bush Sr. replied, "I love you, too."

“And those were the last words I heard him say," Baker said. "He was gone in about 40 minutes after that and it was a very gentle and peaceful passing."

Bush Sr. was also asked yesterday whether he wanted to go to the hospital, a source said.

He said no, the source said. He was ready to go and be with his wife Barbara and his daughter Robin, who died of leukemia as a child.